


Above All Else

by Star_Going_Supernova



Series: Side Effects of Friendship [1]
Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Little Nightmares II Spoilers, Not Canon Compliant, Platonic Cuddling, good ending, in this house we give Mono and Six a well-deserved break, the power of FRIENDSHIP!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29575401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Going_Supernova/pseuds/Star_Going_Supernova
Summary: Right in front of the glowing doorway, Six sat on the only portion of the concrete bridge that wasn’t breaking, apparently catching her breath. A missing section separated them, growing by the second.Mono went cold with the realization that he wouldn’t be able to make the jump.
Relationships: Mono & Six (Little Nightmares)
Series: Side Effects of Friendship [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182653
Comments: 43
Kudos: 471





	Above All Else

**Author's Note:**

> The ending of Little Nightmares 2 destroyed me, so I destroyed it. This is a fix-it fic, plain and simple. I took my liberties with it, and admittedly, I didn’t rewatch the ending again to double-check facts or anything, because I wasn’t ready to be sucker-punched in the feels again. 
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy!

The mass of flesh swelled closer, the steaming heat of it biting at Mono’s heels. He tried not to stumble over the cracking, crumbling floor, but Six had always been the more sure-footed runner between them. She was just ahead of him, using her head start to shove rubble out of their path.

He didn’t know what he would have done without her, now more than ever. Despite his powers with the televisions, and even his victory over the Thin Man, he felt like he simply thought slower on his feet than Six, who was always quick to find the right path out of danger.

Mono’s luck—or balance—couldn’t last forever, and he finally tripped just as the end was in sight. A long, thin bridge arched over a pitch-black chasm, with a static-white glowing doorway at the other end. It had to be the way out, it just had to. And it was right as he thought that that his foot had caught in a crack, sending him slamming forward to the concrete.

Shaking the dizziness from his head, he forced himself back up, taking notice of Six already crossing the highest point of the bridge. Like the rest of the Signal Tower, it was beginning to fall apart.

Slowly but steadily, it continued collapsing as he raced up the incline. The empty darkness below him sent yet another new fear stabbing into his heart. There seemed to be no end to the terrifying things they had encountered.

Right in front of the glowing doorway, Six sat on the only portion of the concrete bridge that wasn’t breaking, apparently catching her breath. A missing section separated them, growing by the second.

Mono went cold with the realization that he wouldn’t be able to make the jump. The gap was already too wide, and it was only getting worse.

Without faltering in his panicked sprint, he leapt, feeling the edge split apart beneath him. A desperate, wordless cry left him as he flailed forward, trying with all his might to reach the other edge.

At the last moment, he saw Six’s head turn toward him, and she lunged, viper-quick, to grab his reaching hand in her own.

Just like every other time she had caught him, her grip was firm and reassuring. Her torso pressed into the stone edge, creasing her yellow raincoat while her other hand supported their weight. He dangled below her, legs limp for the lack of anything to kick against.

Six was the only thing keeping him from falling into the chasm, and for as much as he considered her his friend, the thought terrified Mono.

He stared silently up into her face, shadowed beneath her hood. Something in the line of her mouth spoke of hesitation, and she didn’t move to pull him to safety. And he could see it, then, in that hard, cruel sparkle in her eyes—the one that always appeared when she had the chance to hurt one of their tormentors back; it often made him wonder what exactly happened to her while she was held prisoner in the Hunter’s house, but he never dared ask.

She was thinking about dropping him.

Mono almost wouldn’t blame her if she did. In fact, he understood. Six was a hardened creature who held survival above all else. And he was the one who had gotten her locked up here, horrifically twisted and out of her own mind. He was the one who had kept trying to reach for that door, no matter how much she yanked him away. He was the one who had freed the Thin Man.

And worse yet, he was the one who hadn’t even reached out when the Thin Man stole her.

Just as he had let go when Six had almost escaped through one of the television sets, it would only be settling the score if she let him go now.

Because keeping things even was a core part of their partnership. Six boosted him up and expected him to come back for her. He made it possible for her to jump across too-large spaces and expected her to catch him when he followed. They opened doors and vents together, their combined strength just enough to get by in this monstrous adult’s world.

Since he’d set her free after getting her captured, they were on a blank slate. There was nothing owed now. She could drop him and never have to worry about him again.

Mono braced himself for the weightlessness of free-fall.

In all, he’d been hanging from Six’s hand for only a few seconds when the cruel glint suddenly left her eyes. She grunted under his weight as she hauled him to safety.

He started shivering as soon as he had solid ground beneath him, shocked and overwhelmed at how close he had come to death, or perhaps something worse than that. The Signal Tower didn’t seem kind enough to offer a quick end.

Six patiently sat beside him while he calmed down. Her shoulder nudged at his as she swayed gently, and he sighed, taking comfort in her presence, for all that she could have killed him. They shared the new silence; the squelching of the mounds of flesh was gone.

The terror and panic slowly drained out of him, and his trembling lessened quickly. Though it hit closer to his heart than the rest, it was hardly the first time he’d faced certain death. He couldn’t afford to let it get to him, or he’d have curled up and died long ago from apathy and despair.

It was a deeply kind gesture on Six’s part to let him have this moment, with her making no effort to hurry him along before something else could try and do away with them. He hummed his wordless appreciation, and her shoulder bumped his a little more firmly on her next pass.

Finally, he felt collected enough to stand without collapsing on shaky legs. She followed, steady as ever, and took his hand as they approached the doorway.

The two of them didn’t speak much. They didn’t need to, not when their actions largely spoke for them. And feeling Six’s warm, callused hand in his was all he needed. She wouldn’t apologize for her nature, for her instincts, and he wouldn’t want her to.

Sometimes, she was a monster, but he didn’t mind, because she was also his friend. Today, it seemed the latter won out over the former. Perhaps their misadventures inspired a bond too strong for her to betray. Perhaps she didn’t want to be alone again. Perhaps she recognized they were two of a kind—and only had each other to lean on in a world that would often rather eat them. He would never ask about her reasoning, and she would never tell him.

Mono led the way through the static doorway, shoving against it the same way as he did with the televisions. Ignoring the tingly prickle of that in-between space, he kept a tight hold on Six, determined not to lose her here. He had seen her dark afterimage once; he had no desire to see it again.

They tumbled out into an empty living room together, and with the powers he still didn’t really understand, Mono could feel that Six was restored. She was whole again. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Turning to her, he found her critically examining the room before looking at him. It’d been a _long_ day, and they’d been on the run from one horror after the other for so long that the days since their first meeting had meshed together. They deserved a break, and this place would do as well as any.

Working together in silence, Mono dragged as many soft things as he could find into the living room, but only after Six smashed the television screen in. It didn’t hurt to be cautious. He heard the sounds of heavy things being pushed over the wood floor as he rearranged the makeshift nest to his satisfaction. She was probably blockading the door.

Exhaustion and warmth swept over him like a wave. The prospect of being able to drop his guard for a nap sounded wonderful, and the reminder of how in-sync he and his friend were never ceased to bring a small, hopeful smile to his face.

They could anticipate each other’s movements to the extent that they nearly worked as a single unit, split into two. In fact, the only time Six had ever really managed to surprise him by going against what he expected her to do was when she didn’t drop him.

And what a good surprise it was.

His tummy grumbled unhappily right as Six trotted in from one of the other rooms, holding a plate with food that was only a little moldy. _At least there are no flies circling it for once,_ he thought as he gratefully dug in alongside her.

It was the most relaxed Mono had been in ages, for almost as long as he could remember. Comfortably full, warm, dry, and _alive,_ he slumped into the pillow nest with a little sigh once they finished eating. Six tossed the empty plate aside and scooted down so she was laying beside him.

An unusual urge to break the silence overcame him. “Hey,” he whispered, too used to being cautious of attracting unwanted attention to speak louder.

Six rolled her head to peek at him from inside her hood. After a pause, she leaned up a little to tug it back, revealing her dark, limp hair and pale, dirty face. Mono, who had discarded his own headgear before his fight with the Thin Man, appreciated the gesture.

They stared at one another for a moment before Six reached out and touched his cheek with her pointer finger. It stung. His memories of the Thin Man chasing him came back, and he winced at the pains that suddenly made themselves known.

She hummed a displeased note and pulled away, tucking her hands to her chest as she curled up in a loose fetal position. Mono absently mirrored her, pressing closer to share body heat.

There was a lot he kind of wanted to say, in that moment, so peaceful and still as it was. _Thank you for deciding to save me. I’m sorry I got you caught in the first place. I’m sorry I had to hurt you to free you. I’m glad I’m not alone._

But words were secondary to actions. Six had already proven that today, when instead of choosing survival, she choose their friendship.

Slowly, to give her time to refuse, Mono reached out and tugged her closer, until they were curled together, filling each other’s empty spaces like a pair of puzzle pieces.

Six huffed a little giggle, but didn’t seem opposed to cuddling. Mono smiled against her forehead and let his eyes drift shut.

He had his friend, and tomorrow, they would continue forward through the living nightmare the world was, always on the move but never with any destination in mind. It was harsh out there, and full of monstrous adults and all manner of dangers. After tonight, there was one less—the Thin Man was no more. But here, now, in their pillow nest, it was warm and safe, and Mono was content.

The last thing he registered before falling asleep was the total relaxation of Six’s body, signifying her own state of rest. And as always, when it came to his friend, he was quick to follow.

**Author's Note:**

> i loved the new game, and absolutely couldn't stop thinking about the ending. these poor kids deserved better!
> 
> Thanks for reading, love ya bunches! ❤️
> 
> • [my tumblr](https://star-going-supernova.tumblr.com) •


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